


you're still the one i run to (the one that i belong to)

by orphan_account



Series: Buddy Snippets [2]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Buddy System Season 2, Feelings Realization, First Meetings, Fluff, Light Flirting, Link isn't a robot, M/M, Rhett isn't a star, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-16 14:15:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20837516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Link wasn't one to understand things such as conspiracy theories and ghosts. He left believing to Rhett.





	you're still the one i run to (the one that i belong to)

**Author's Note:**

> part two of buddy snippets!!
> 
> i'd like to thank my beta, the awesome outofnowhere82 on tumblr!! thank you so much for being my beta for buddy snippets :)

Link wasn’t one to understand things such as conspiracy theories and ghosts. He left believing to Rhett, who believed in things from the multiverse theory to soulmates. He didn’t think knowing things you couldn’t prove was worth it.

He and Rhett sat at a cafe near Rhett’s current home, browsing for places to settle down. Rhett was skeptical of Link, wondering if he actually wanted to still be roommates with the taller man despite what he had done. Link has constantly reassured him that he wanted nothing more than to live with Rhett again. Rhett was his best friend, after all. Link wouldn’t want anything more.

“How about we live in Fresno? There’s a lot of farms, and I know you like ‘em miniature horses,” Rhett said, interrupting Link’s thoughts. He glanced at Rhett, who was still looking at his laptop screen, and smiled. He didn’t think Rhett would try to reconcile their friendship after that day. He thought Rhett didn’t want to see him ever again.

“Link?”

Rhett looked up from his computer screen, making eye contact with the smaller man. Link, startled out of his thoughts, stammered with his words. “F-Fresno’s fine, man.”

Rhett nodded, looking back at his laptop. “How about LA? Downtown LA has some cool apartments.”

Link shrugged. “I’m honestly fine with any place, Rhett. Though, you seem fixated on being in California.”

“Is it a bad choice? Bein’ a country boy for a while makes ya tired of the countryside, Link.”

“I know! I don’t really think it’s a bad place.” 

Rhett rolled his eyes, closing his laptop. “Well, it isn’t like we have anywhere better to stay, and Los Angeles seems fun!”

Link hummed, understanding Rhett’s words. What he didn’t understand, though, was what someone as simplistic as he would do in such a huge city. He wouldn’t fit in, although he knew Rhett would. They would both have to get new jobs if they relocated, which would be hard on the both of them since Link wasn’t one for big jobs, and Rhett wasn’t one for hard jobs. Los Angeles was full of big, hard jobs. Dreams could be achieved, but it normally took blood, sweat, and tears.

Link watched as Rhett sipped his coffee, writing something Link assumed was house addresses on a piece of paper. Rhett then looked up, making eye contact with Link.

“There’s some questions I wanna ask ya. I realized we’re best friends, and we hardly know anything about each other!” Rhett exclaimed, clearly surprised. Link was surprised as well, realizing Rhett was right. He knew so much about Rhett, yet so little. And Rhett knew almost everything about Link, yet almost nothing as well. 

“I mean, go ahead, man. We have nothin’ to do for the whole day! This is like a date!” Link practically yelled, a bit embarrassed to call this a date. He didn’t think of Rhett as anything more than a best friend, yet he knew there was something there. Looking at Rhett wasn’t the same as looking at Vanessa. Vanessa  _ was _ his best friend, but that was all she was, yet Link had mistaken it as love. Rhett, though, was different. Everything was more exhilarating when he was with Rhett, their friendship felt electrifying and risky. They complimented each other, and Link couldn’t think of Rhett as anyone but his other half.

Link was glad he was Rhett’s best friend and his other half. He thought it was one sided when Rhett had shook his head to the question that day, asking if Link was his friend. Link was heartbroken at that point, having lost everything he ever worked up to. His job, his home, his former best friend, his best friend, all lost in a span of a few weeks. He didn’t think he could take anymore if Rhett hadn’t found him the other day and reconciled their friendship. Of course, Rhett didn’t know this. Link couldn’t let Rhett find out.

Rhett smiled, humming in response. “I’d love this to be a date, man. Haven’t had one of those in forever!”

“And you wouldn’t mind having your first date in a long time with me?”

Rhett nodded, smiling softly at the smaller man. “Why would I mind? You’re my best friend.”

Link giggled, breaking eye contact with Rhett as he felt his face get warm. He knew he was flushed based on Rhett’s laughter to Link looking away. Link put his face in his hands, earning another burst of laughter from Rhett.

They stayed in a comfortable silence as Link thought about his feelings for Rhett. Link wasn’t so experienced with love, being the simple man he was. Would Rhett ever love someone like him? Someone who’s so simple they can’t even get naked without feeling ashamed? 

Link needed to bury his feelings. Rhett could never see him in that way.

“Hey, wanna know what I just noticed?” Rhett asked, causing Link to look up, removing his face from his hands.

“What’d you notice?”

Rhett shrugged. “I don’t know your full name, man! I only know your name is Link, and that’s it! How are we supposed to get a house if I can’t put your full name on a document?” Rhett exclaimed, flailing his arms around.

“Gracious, you’re right! Dang, Rhett, just when I thought we knew just about everything about each other,” Link said, laughing awkwardly.

“Yeah, well, wanna redo how we met?”

Link tilted his head in confusion. “What?”

Rhett stood up, gesturing for Link to stand beside him. Link obeyed, and stood next to Rhett’s tall frame, their shoulders almost touching. “Basically, we’re gonna pretend we’re just meeting each other, and introduce ourselves properly!”

Link nodded, the idea compelling to him. “Seems like a good idea to me. Don’t be as weird as when we first met, though!”

Rhett smiled. “What do you mean? You were the weird one!”

“You literally kicked me out as soon as you saw me!”

Rhett rolled his eyes, trying to contain his laughter. “That was because there was a better dude that wanted to be my roommate that I actually knew. I didn’t want strangers in my house!”

Link blinked, remembering their first meeting. If Rhett’s roommate hadn’t died, wouldn’t that mean…

“Stop overthinkin’, Link.”

Link looked up at Rhett, who put a hand on his shoulder. “Just because I kicked you out at first doesn’t mean anything. I’d probably be less happy if I still had my other roommate. I don’t even remember his name!”

Link laughed quietly at Rhett’s bad attempt to cheer him up. Rhett’s face lit up as soon as Link laughed, sitting back down. “Now that you’re alright, let’s recreate the meeting!”

Link hesitated. “Rhett—“

Rhett put his finger against Link’s mouth. “Shush, I want to make this right. If we’re going to live together, I want you to know that I regret ever kicking you out in the first place. I want you to know, Link, that I will never do something like that ever again.”

“Gracious, Rhett, you’re so cheesy,” Link commented, giggling as Rhett crossed his arms.

“Be quiet! We’re starting our first meeting now! Action!”

Link rolled his eyes, playing into Rhett’s bit. He picked up his coffee from the table, walked out of the cafe, and walked in seconds later to find Rhett on his laptop.

Link walked up to the man, waving. Rhett looked up as Link pointed to the seat across from Rhett. “Hey, is this seat taken?” Link asked, trying not to break character.

Rhett shook his head. “Nope, been alone all morning. You new here?”

“Yep, just was browsin’ the area, looking for a roommate and somewhere to live.”

Link made eye contact with Rhett, who beamed at Link’s words. “Yeah? Me too, man.”

Link chuckled, extending a hand out to Rhett. “I’m Charles.”

Rhett started coughing. “Ch-Charles?”

Link laughed as Rhett looked up at Link, his eyes wide. “Yeah. You are?”

Rhett took Link’s hand and shook it. “Rhett. Rhett McLaughlin.”

“What was that, Brett?” Link asked, winking at Rhett.

Rhett pulled Link closer, their hands still in the position of their handshake. “Don’t try me, Charlie.”

Link pulled away, unable to stifle a laugh. “Quiet, McLaughlin! We’re in a public place!”

Rhett watched as Link took a seat, closing his laptop. “So, Charles, what’s your last name?”

Link sipped his coffee, glancing between Rhett’s lips and his eyes. “Neal. Charles Neal.”

Rhett raised an eyebrow. “Neal, huh? So, Charles Neal, got any nicknames?”

Link giggled. “So forward! We haven’t even gone on a date!”

“Right, Charles. You wouldn’t call this a date?”

“I wouldn’t mind callin’ this a date, McLaughlin.”

Rhett smirked. “Took the words right out of my mouth, Neal.”

Link lipped his lips, mentally cursing himself as he did so. He shouldn’t be so aroused! They were just… roleplaying? Link groaned, now was not the time to be kinky.

“I’ve heard you go by a different name, Charles.”

Link chuckled. “Oh? But I’m new around here, who could’ve told ya that?”

Rhett rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his coffee. “Charles don’t suit you.”

Link scoffed, attempting to look insulted. “Rude.”

“Link! Don’t do me like that!” Rhett exclaimed, making Link burst with laughter as he broke character. 

“Link? Who told you that name? Was it them government agents lookin’ for me?” Link questioned, pretending to look around the cafe for any ‘government agents’ as he called them.

Rhett giggled. “Just a hunch. So, what’s your actual name, Charles?”

“Dang it, you got me. The name’s Charles Lincoln Neal III. You can call me Link.” Link winked, earning a bright smile from Rhett.

“Fancy! Well, Link, you got any plans tonight?”

“I don’t have plans right now, so I don’t have plans tonight,” Link informed, oblivious to where Rhett was taking the conversation.

Rhett chuckled. “Yeah? Well, is it alright if I take you out to dinner?”

Link flushed. “D-Dinner?”

Rhett nodded. “I’ll pay, Linkypoo. So, dinner?”

“You serious?”

“You think I’m not?”

Link couldn’t believe his ears. He thought Rhett was still acting, but if Rhett was serious, Link was interested. Maybe Rhett thought of them as more? Or was Link overthinking again? 

“I’d love for you to take me to dinner, Rhett. It’d make me the happiest man alive.”

Rhett beamed. “Yes! I have a dinner date with a hot, attractive man!”

Link stared at Rhett, his mouth agape. He didn’t know Rhett thought he looked hot, let alone attractive. He gulped, flashing a smile at the taller man in an attempt to hide his surprise. “And that hot, attractive man will be your roommate soon.”

Link didn’t think it was possible, but Rhett’s smile extended even more. “Yes! Yes, he will!”

Link wasn’t one to believe in the multiverse theory or soulmates. It was normally Rhett’s job, to believe things that are otherwise unexplainable.

Still, Link wouldn’t mind believing in those things if Rhett was by his side, hoping they were just as happy as they were right now in another universe, doing something they loved together.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: rhinkityrhink
> 
> again, thank you so much to the amazing outofnowhere82 on tumblr for being my beta!! you're so awesome!!
> 
> as always, don't forget to be your mythical best :)


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